When a pro athlete retires for whatever reason, he is often in his 20’s or 30’s, and faced with a career crisis. The pressing question is, ‘what do I do with the rest of my life?’ Many retired athletes become motivational speakers, taking their powerful presence to the stage. Some apply their financial prowess to develop banking and investment companies. Still others capitalize on their creative edge to produce exceptional products for the public.
Whatever the product or service, marketing is an integral part of any business success. The retired pro athlete often feels more comfortable working with people familiar with the sports world…he wants to work with those who “get it.”
There are a few outstanding sports marketing companies who are poised and leveraged to propel the retired athlete to the next level in his career.
The first is Dorsett Sports Marketing, headed by Founder and Principal, Forrest Dorsett. Dorsett Sports Marketing is a full-service professional athlete brand marketing agency who works with select clientele. They’ve also joined forces with sports broadcaster veteran with 30+ years’ experience, Fred Hickman, to form Fred Hickman Communications at fredhickman.net. From media training/coaching, to PR & Marketing, to consulting, this company is an athletes’ ace in the hole.
Pro Productions is devoted to their mission of helping each athlete promote their foundations and charities. Their media production, Outside the League, is dedicated to providing a well-rounded show that is both entertaining and educational for the entire family. Pro Productions uses their combined talent as a motivational tool to help athletes grow professionally and personally.
GAGA Sports & Entertainment provides athletes, sports leagues, and other clients the ability to create a unique engagement with their fans and let them “inside the velvet ropes.” GAGA provides their clients a way to connect with their fans on a more intimate level. Whether it’s a fun trivia contest, shooting video of behind-the-scenes places they have never seen, or getting to know people in the organization, they assist in building out engagement strategies with fans.
Last, but certainly not least, is Zookeeper Industries. Dave Waite, founded Zookeeper and has an impressive client list, including ESPN Sports Center, Nike, and New York Yankees. The company focuses on branding, strategy, communications, design, and advertising. Zookeeper delivers original, branded work that’s edgy, provocative and memorable. They excel at forging emotional connections with clients that create passion for the athletes’ brand.
I’ve just named a few stellar resources to help athletes, or anyone in the sports industry for that matter. Do your homework, check out their websites and make an initial contact. I always enlist a healthy arsenal of companies to refer and utilize in my own business. Not all companies are a perfect match for each other. There has to be a comfort level in doing business and we all know we do business with those we like, know, and trust. From my personal experience in developing rapport with each of these companies, I can wholeheartedly say that integrity, prestige, and professionalism reigns in each one.
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